An example method for wireless communication includes: configuring a wireless device to access a wireless network using a set of at least three components carriers (CCs); dividing the at least three component carriers into groups of component carriers based on whether the component carriers share a span pattern and a starting span for monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) of each component carrier; determining a number of non-overlapping control channel elements (CCE) to monitor for each group of component carriers; and configuring the wireless device to monitor the non-overlapping CCEs based on the determined number to monitor for each group.